(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a decorative floor covering, more particularly to a decorative floor covering comprising a polyethylene terephthalate film layer in a surface layer, and a manufacturing method of the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
As demands for convenience and health functions in home environments increase in conjunction with recent income level improvements, the need for light weight decorative floor coverings and various functional products used in a common residence or commercial space tends to be increasing.
A decorative floor covering which is installed in common residences and a semi-commercial spaces provides simple functionalities such as durability, stain resistance and fashion characteristics.
Methods for printing decorative patterns in conventional decorative floor coverings include directly printing patterns on a polyvinyl chloride resin sheet, directly printing patterns on a substrate layer comprising glass fiber etc., and transferring printed patterns on paper or polyester film to a polyvinyl chloride resin sheet surface. However, there have been problems in that these methods do not satisfy human desires for natural patterns without leaving artificial traces. Particularly, although effects of a pattern which is printed on paper or polyester transfer paper is superior, there have been problems in that realism decreases since pattern changes occur after transfer. Furthermore, although a polyvinyl chloride resin layer is formed by to adding fillers to a polyvinyl chloride resin sheet layer to raise the transferring effects since complete transfer does not occur due to transferring surface irregularities, the transferred patterns deteriorate due to the fillers.
Secondly, conventional decorative floor coverings in which an olefin resin skin layer such as a transparent polyvinyl chloride resin, polyethylene, etc. is used on a printing layer so as to protect the printing layer tend to generate microscopic air pockets during processing, so a yellowing phenomenon occurs due to the heat changes during processing. In addition, a certain thickness should be maintained in order to provide durability during use, resulting in the problem that transparency is further deteriorated due to the thickness.
Thirdly, polyvinyl chloride resin has problems of poor heat resistance in that the surface is easily damaged by a heat source of over 100° C. due to its low softening point of 80 to 100° C.
Although there have been cases that non-foaming polyvinyl chloride resin or other materials have been used as a skin layer to improve heat resistance, problems of heat resistance have not been fundamentally solved.
Furthermore, a non-foaming polyvinyl chloride resin layer has been used under a conventional decorative floor covering as a balance layer, and there have been installing problems since the product weight is increased due to the resin layer.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional decorative floor covering, wherein a substrate impregnated layer 1 is positioned in the middle, a non-foaming chip layer 21 having a pastel tone and decorative patterns, a durability provided polyvinyl chloride resin skin layer 22, and a durability and heat resistance provided surface treated layer 25 are positioned in order on the substrate impregnated layer 1, and a balance layer 31 which maintains product balance is positioned under the substrate impregnated layer 1.
The above conventional decorative floor coverings are manufactured by a method comprising the steps of heat pressing and gelling after fully impregnating glass fiber, pulp, etc. having large pores into a polyvinyl chloride resin sol to make a substrate impregnated layer 1, forming polyvinyl chloride resin chips on non-foamed chips 21 by applying heat after coating calcium carbonate (CaCO3) contained polyvinyl chloride resin chips having 5 to 7 colors to a thickness of 1.0 to 1.5 mm on the substrate impregnated layer 1 using a rotary screen roll, laying up a transparent polyvinyl chloride resin sheet on the non-foamed chips 21 as a skin layer 22, laying up a calcium carbonate filled polyvinyl chloride resin sheet under the substrate impregnated layer 1 as a balance layer 31, and forming a surface treated layer 25 by curing after coating urethane acryl resin, etc. on the skin layer 22.
The conventional decorative floor coverings having these structures have problems in that realism is decreased in the decorative patterns of the non-foamed chip layer 21, transparency of the durability providing polyvinyl chloride resin skin layer 22 is decreased, and its heat resistance is insufficient.